Legend of the Leaves
by Haru Takami
Summary: Sequal to the oneshot "History of the Leaves" I'll just write as it comes, so read if you want. Rated T for language and certain situations...


AN: Yo yo yo! long time no see! sorry I havent updated in a while... i've been hitting a bit of a block recently concerning "Naruto: A Destined Heart", and unfortunatly "Ask Zuko" has all but shut down... lack of letters and such. I might pump out one final 'goodbye' chapter, but that's all... anyways, enough somberness and onto the cheer!

This is a sequel to my oneshot "History of the Leaves" Since I didn't mention it before, but HotL takes place the year before Naruto's final year in the academy, you know, the year Mizuki lets the fox out of the bag, and this one begins in that fateful year. now, on with the fic!

Naruto: Haru owns no part of me or my universe exept that which he creates himself, including certain jutsu or bloodlines, but even then the concept of my universes Ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai belong to Masashi Kishimoto.... I said all that right, right?

Perfectly. and here we go! oh, one last thing. I noticed that Kishimoto made it so Naruto's abilities slowly degenerate before he starts to get better. in my opinion: Fekking Stupid. in this he'll retain his abilites and move on from there. deal with it. ;3

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~Legend of the Leaves~

It was a bright day in Konohagakure no Sato, village hidden in the leaves. Brids were singing and flying freely in the skies, fish were swimming through the many rivers and ponds in the village, and a brown cat with a ribbon on it's ear was walking along rooftops, enjoying the view it had looked out on for a length of time no one was sure of how long. A loud scream and approaching footsteps scared it from it's perch however as several masked figures chased a blond boy across the rooftops of the town.

"UZUMAKI!!" screamed a man wearing a boar shaped white mask, red and black lines indicating the facial features of the animal, and a fluorecent orange jumpsuit with grey armor on the chest, arms and legs, brown hair flaring behind him in the wind created by his pursuit of the blond child, his companions wearing similar clothing chased the boy who had done this to their uniforms.

The boy merely grinned as he sped up, avoiding the ANBU Black Ops as they gave chase. It was just another day in Konoha for one Uzumaki Naruto. And considering this was his third time sneaking into ANBU headquarters and messing with them this week alone.... nonwithstanding the fact it was only tuesday... he'd say it was a fairly nice run so far. Dropping into an alley he took off, leaping over a dumpster before turning a corner, the three other orange-clad shinobi hot on his trail as they turned the corner.... and found nothing. No Naruto, no street venders, just a dead end.

"Damnit! we lost him!" one of the boar-masked nin's companions said, a woman wearing a tortoise mask said "He must have jumped the wall!" and with that they were off.

Several minutes later laughter could be heard from the 'dead end' of they alleyway as a sheet with a brick pattern was dropped, revealing the smiling boy, adjusting the goggles fixed to his forehead he walked calmly out of the elleyway, whistling happily down the street despite the hateful glares sent his way by many villagers. Turning a few more corners he arrived at one of his favorite places in the village: Ichiraku Ramen.

The stand was small, but comfortable, and the owner and his daughter had no problem with him of which he was grateful. Why, if it wasn't for this stand he probably wouldn't be here today.

"Ohaiyo!" Naruto cried out as he ducked under the flap that hung down from the entrance. "One Miso ramen and keep them coming!"

"Ah! Good morning Naruto!" replied the brunette daughter of the ramen-stand owner, turning warm chocolate eyes to view their favorite customer. "Alright, I'll get that started for you right away! say..... you haven't been pulling pranks again, have you?" She questioned, holding a wooden spoon that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Naruto sweatdropped in reply and instaid opted to change the subject, he wasn't that big of an idiot to try and lie his way out of this one.

"ne... where's the old man?" Naruto said quickly, glancing around the shop and finding that the owner indeed wasn't there.

"Oh, father had some important business to attend to," said Ayame, still holding the spoon at him. She knew what he was trying to do and Kami damn her if she was going to let him get away with whatever it was this time. She just needed the right.... leverage. Turning away, she began to prepare his ramen, letting the smell waft about the stand to make naruto even more hungry.

Naruto was almost in heaven. From the smell he could tell that she was putting extra work into this one, adding more helpings of all the topings and making sure the broth was made to perfection itself.... but the fact remained that it was not in his stomach yet, and that was the defining line between heaven and hell in his mind. When he saw her begin to bring the ramen forwards he smiled broadly, picking up his chopsticks... but the bowl was never placed infront of him.

"Now Naruto...." The noodle-bearing goddess before him said in a sickly sweet voice "What did you do this time?" and the worst part of it... was that his ramen was hanging loosely in her grip over a garbage can. Growing panicked that she would do something like that to his beloved ramen, he spilled, telling her all the events of the morning, how he had snuck into ANBU headquarters again, how he had bleached all of their normally black jumpsuits white and then proceded to dye them fluorecent orange to match his own clothing, how they had chased him for nearly three hours before he decided he was hungy... and Ayame was stupified. He had managed to not only evade ANBU capture... but to do so for three hours? and then ditch them purely because he was _hungry_? It was unheard of! Let alone the fact he actually managed to get _into_ anbu headquarters to begin with, repeatedly at that! She placed the bowl gingerly before Naruto, blinking repeatedly.

"Itadakimasu!" cried the blond happily, breaking apart his chopsticks and eating quickly, nearly melting at the taste of what he believed to be Kami on earth, while the brunette shopkeep merely stared at him dumbstruck. It was set perminantly in her mind that this boy would become a force to be reaconed with given enough time and training. She almost missed him setting down an empty bown before asking for another. Nodding quietly she prepaired it, using the noodles to take her mind off the skill of the thirteen-year-old boy behind her.

After several more bowls of ramen Naruto was finally feeling atleast somewhat full. Smiling, he payed his bill and left the shop, heading for home. He hardly realised it had been this long in the day, but wasn't bothered. School was tomorow, their final exam before becoming full fledged ninja. Most people wouldn't guess by his pranks, but that was how he trained. Kakuremino no Jutsu (aka "that one sneaky invisibility jutsu" to you from outside japan) helped him avoid detection, Henge when he was traveling through a croud, Kawarimi when he got cornered, Nawanuke for when he actually _got_ caught, which in and of itself was rare, and he had rigged a Jibaku fuda (exploding note) to a cluster of paincans to spray their contents into all the rooms in ANBU headquarters once.

Infact, the only academy jutsu he couldn't get the hang of, was the Bunshin no jutsu. But in his eyes it was kind of useless. Any skilled ninja could detect the lack of chakra in the clones and just go straight for him, or, aleast that's what he believed, so it wasn't that good as a distraction technique, he was better off with a kawarimi mixed with henge or kakuremino. Infact, he might just have to do that if the prickling on the back of his neck indicated anything.

Quickly preforming the seals he replaced himself with a trashcan just as what appeared to be ropes made of the ground below wrapped around it, and, having meant to capture something that was 1, much smaller, and 2, much surdier, crushed it tightly from the lack of resistance. Naruto watched from his hidden point just up the street, having used kauremino mid-transfer, which was unkowingly to him, a high chunin/low jounin skill, that he thought of as 'nothing special' as he'd had to learn how to do it due to the anbu and jounin constantly looking for him.

"Damnit! how'd he know?" called one ANBU, the boar-masked nin from earlier. Naruto had to hold in a snicker that they were still looking for him. the tortoise-masked ANBU dropped next to him and scoffed. "Obviously you made too much noise. Next time be quieter!" She repremanded him, and his head actually hung as she was probably right. This little exchange actually had Naruto wondering how he _had_ avoided it. It was like he instinctually knew that it was going to happen... like he had _seen_ it coming... but that was crazy right?

In an amazing feat of perserverence and patience that nobody would have expected from him, Naruto successfuly waited not only untill the two ANBU left, but untill he could be _positive_ that they had gone. After he was sure without a doubt, he preformed a henge, turning into a slightly taller, and more voluptuous blond girl wearing an black kimono. Calmly he made his way to the hokage's office, relieved that none of the villagers were giving him the harsh stares they normally gave him... but there were still people staring, mostly men.... mostly. Shrugging this off as grown-ups being wierd, he continued on his way, asking kindly to the receptionist if he would be allowed audience with lord hokage, a title he only called the man if he was disguised, as to not give himself away.

Fifteen minutes later Naruto was admitted to the Hokage's office to find the most powerful man in their village behind a desk battling the one enemy no hokage save the fourth could defeat... Paperwork. Deciding to take advantage of the old man's distraction, Naruto grinned and swayed his hips like he'd seen the women in that one district of town where he'd seen alot of men going to late at night do, as he walked twords the old man.

"Hokage-sama~...." 'Naruko', as he'd come to call this female incarnation of himself, said, sashaying her way behind the hokage's desk. At the man looked up his eyes widened slightly before a less than appropriate grin spread across his face as his cheeks tinted pink at her small ammount of clothing, turning his chair away from the desk to open his arms in a hug, which 'Naruko' quickly accepted, laughing like mad inside at what was about to take place.

"Well hello there young lady, I don't believe I've met you before..." Hiruzen Sarutobi said, wrapping his arms around the frail looking woman latched onto him.

"Oh... I believe we have..." Naruko said quietly, grinning wide now "...Ero-jiji"

That sentance alone took several seconds to register in his mind, a large grin still planted there on his face. It took so long because for one, just as she had said it, a camera flash went off, and two, the voice changed right at the end, becoming slightly more masculine as the figure in his arms seemed to weigh less, and had become much less femenine. As he opened his eyes the figure in his arms burst away from him and snatched the camera that had been silently set upon the medium sized stack of his paperwork without his notice sometime between the woman's entering and hugging him. It was when it finally clicked that his eyes snapped open in slight fear. And his fears were confirmed as he looked to the other side of his desk.

"Haha! Got you again Jiji!" laughed the blond boy who did this atleast once a month. How he didn't realise that it was Naruto again was beyond him... then again there was that young secretary he had.. ehem... 'consoled' last tuesday on her boyfriend leaving her... but there was no connection between the two, really!

The Sandaime Hokage sighed and rubbed his forehead gently. Naruto pulling _this_ particular prank could only mean one of a few things. Either Naruto wanted a raise in his 'allowance', which was very rare, he wanted the hokage to go treat him to ramen, though the fishcake still sticking to the boy's cheek hinted that that wasn't the case this time... or he had gotten himself into throuble with the ANBU black ops again. Infact is was just as this thought crossed his mind that no less than twelve, orange-clad shinobi burst into the room, all making a dash for the blond boy before his desk. Naruto, having somehow sensed them coming again, did the senseble thing and dived for the gap beneath the hokage's desk and chair he knew was on the other side of his massive robes, home-base sliding beneath the gap there as one tiger-masked nin smacked face-first... er.... mask-first into his leader's desk, arm still partially extended at the failed attempt at grabbing the boy's collar or hair.

"Hmm? What is the meaning of this ANBU-san?" Asked the hokage, an eyebrow arched at the assembled ninja.

"Sir," another stepped forwards, wearing a white mask with red lines indicating some form of insect. "That demo-er.... that young man there did this to all of our uniforms!" he said, indicating to his and his companions gear, barely catching his near slip-of-the-tounge that would have meant his immediate termination by the man before him. His only response was a still-arched brow.

"Really now Bachi-san?[bachi-bee or wasp] You expect me to believe that a thirteen year old academy student, managed to not only discover _and_ enter ANBU headquarters, but he managed to evade every active shinobi there, steal over a dozen uniforms and carry them on his person to have them bleached and then dyed orange?" Their elderly commander questioned, bridging his fingers before him "And then, managed not only to evade detection after returning them all, proving that he once again entered headquarters unnoticed, but did so long enough to eat lunch and then find his way inside my office?"

The group of assorted masks displayed nothing, but the hokage could tell that behind each were uneasy glances at their comrades, and bright blushes at the implications of their incompetence. Then their leader really put down the finishing blow on the matter.

"Well. if that is the case perhaps I should simply promote Naruto here to ANBU status and place him in charge of your infiltration squad, ne Tori? Tora? Inoshishi?" [bird, tiger, boar(different from pig)] The three quickly shook their heads, eyes wide behind their masks as Naruto jumped into the hoax.

"Yeah! I know, I could be lke... Saru! or better, Ryuu! that way we'd have all the handsigns for the Kakuremino no Jutsu!" Naruto said, grinning. [AN/ note that this is an assumed list of handsigns for the jutsu, just to add to comic effect.] Sarutobi could see the skin of the three anbu pale asthe blood left their faces, grinning he nodded.

"Yes, Yes, I could see that working very well... that is if you would like to withdraw your earlier accusation of Naruto-kun, ANBU-san?" The hokage asked, a warm smile on his face. Bachi merely cleared his throat, obviously embarrased as he shifted slightly.

"uhh... perhaps... in the future.... we should be careful of what was in our pockets when we use the headquarters washingmachines..." Bachi said quietly, hanging his head as the assorted black ops shinobi excused themselves from the office. Once they were gone, Hiruzen held his hand over his shoulder and the camera was deposited snugly into it. continuing to hold out his hand Naruto sighed and placed the roll of film from the camera as well. Nodding, the elderly man placed camera and flim into his lowest drawer and closed it, locking it and hiding the key in his robes, he'd dispose of the film later.

"You shouldn't get into trouble like that Naruto...." said the hokage, turning to face him in the chair."One of these days I very well may not be able to save you." A frown adorned his face, though his eyes told him that he too thought it was funny as hell.

"Don't worry Jiji, once I'm Hokage you won't have to watch out for me because I'll be the one watching out for you and for everyone!" Naruto said, grinning and jabbing his own chest with a thumb, he other hand defiantly on his hip. The sight struck a chord in the old hokage's heart as he remembered the a figure from his past mirroring that exact pose... albeit a bit taller and wearing a long flowing cloak... but the resemblance was heartwrenching. Smiling warmly he nodded.

"Yes Naruto... I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Hokage some day..." and with that he pulled the small child in for a long hug... untill there was a knock at the door. The two seperated as the hokage's assistant poked her head inside, looking for the blond woman who had gone in nearly an hour ago but only finding that demon child with the hokage. Frowning deeply and looking as though a particularly foul smell crossed her nose, she spoke to the hokage without taking her eyes from the 'boy' next to him, something that did not go unnoticed by said figure.

"Lord Hokage, Hiashi-sama is here to see you." and with that she withdrew and returned to her desk. Sighing, Sarutobi nodded and called for him to be sent in, wishing Naruto farewell as the doors opened, allowing a tall man with long dark hair and white eyes to enter, wearing formal clothing. Arching an eye he looked at the young blond. He held no ill will twords Naruto, and actually owed him a secret debt of gratitude, not that he, a noble hyuuga would admit this to anyone. Naruto bowed politely, to which he bowed his head in return before the boy left via a window, a common occurence as he had come to find out.

"Hokage-sama... I would like to speak to you about the Team Placements of the upcoming graduates..."

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/AN: Well, tell me what you think. It's not much, but hopefully this one will come to me more easily than A Destined Heart is...

Also, if you get the time, go and read a good friend of mine's fic: Koudoukou: Fools Gold. It's a bit of an interesting read, trust me. he's only got about 10 1/2 chapters up, with an omake, but it's still relatively intersting. Note that it is rated M and contains strong language, sexual references, and mild abuse of pot. Still, a good read all in all.

I'd also like to apologise for the blandness of this chapter, but it's leading up to things to come. Also, I'll be writing the AN's before, and after writing the fic respectively, so if something changes from first AN to second that's my fault. this chapter took 3 days on and off writing to complete, so untill we can get the ball rolling we'll just have to see where it goes from here.

ALSO!! I would like to know who you would like to be paired with Naruto in this fic! the list of entries is as follows:

Ino  
Hinata  
Hana (kiba's sister)  
fem-Haku

Tenten

Temari (maybe later in the fic)

Ayame (meh, she may not be a shinobi, but we all know she loves him)

Other (state who and i'll consider it... but if I don't know who it is i'm sorry.)

note that I did NOT put Sakura on that list, and she will NOT be in the pairing, no matter who else is! it could be a harem for all I care, but you wont see Sakura clinging to naruto! got it? maybe lee... yes... lee... thta would be good enough punishment for that pink-haired little.... eh, anyways, have fun!

untill next time,  
Shinobi Reviews member Takami Haru, Sunagakure no Sato representetive.


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